Tuesday, September 18, 2012

5.4 - Be Alive

Jade wakes up earlier than normal and heads downstairs for breakfast. It’s ten a.m., and Coral usually has waffles waiting but there’s nothing, and poor Gem hasn’t even been taken out of his crib. Jade checks Coral’s room but its untouched. The heck is going on?

“Where’s Gem?” Nico asks as he walks into the kitchen after his shower. Coral left the room before him so he assumes she must know.

She smiles at him as he walks over to the fridge before returning to making breakfast. “Jade’s got him. They’re in the nursery.”

Coral can’t help but smile at his discomfort. “You do know she projects, right? She’s probably listening to us right now. May as well just say it out loud for her amusement. I spent last night in your room and it was great.”

Jade totally called it.

As the list of elixers she knows how to make becomes longer and longer, Jade recognizes the need for a garden. Her garden starts off tiny, but it’ll do for now.

Markus stops by to say hello, and to tell her that while he couldn’t find anything about removing fae gifts, he might have found something to help strengthen her body to match her abilities.

“So there’s a way to keep me from getting stuck outside of my body?”

His eyebrows shoot up into his hair. “Wait, you got stuck? When? Jade I’m so sorry, that must have been terrifying!”

She shrugs, for the first time not really thinking it was as scary as she remembered. “It was, but I was just a kid. I should have known better, but I got careless. I won’t screw up like that again, but I want a safety just in case.

He tells her to come to his house tonight to meet the town’s head witch. Markus has already asked her to make Jade a special charm, and Jade just has to go pick it up now.

Jade doesn’t let Markus into the house, and shoos Nicolas away from the window when he tries sneaking a peak of the couple. Obviously she’s trying to keep Markus from her family, but Nico can’t figure out if its to protect Markus from her family, or to protect them from Markus. Hmm... could she be embarrassed of her family? Or of the man-witch she’s dating?

Coral just sighs when she recognizes the look on Nico’s face. “Stop trying to dissect Jade’s mind. If its bugging you so much then just read it. She doesn’t really care, y’know. I mean, she practically does it to us all the time anyway.”

“But that would be cheating.” He could always just ask her, but that would make the mystery too easy. Bah humbug.

Serena Durwood is the town’s head witch, even if her mother is technically the oldest matriarch.

Thankfully, she’s kind and seems truly happy to meet Jade at one of Markus’ parties. “Hunny, we’ve ALL tried setting that bachelor up with someone but for a while I was beginning to think he was only interested in those damn books. I’m glad you’re here to show him how to be alive again.”

Jade isn’t quite sure how to respond to that. “Well, honestly he’s been doing the same for me. I was raised not to trust people outside of the family, and he’s been helping change my mind. I really do care about him, and it makes me so happy to know he feels the same.

“He really does.” Serena smiles, pulling a wrapped box from thin air. “Here, he picked the necklace out himself, I just did the charm. You should be able to go as far from your body as you want, and the charm will always call you back before you reach your limit.”

Jade honestly can’t express how much this means to her.

Markus and Dante Morganthe fight whenever they’re in the same room. Dante wasn’t invited to the party, but his on again off again girlfriend, Marigold Moldano was.

As soon as Jade enters the room Markus stops the fighting, asking Dante very politely to leave.

Jade’s wearing the black and red necklace he got her. She doesn’t even register the fight in any way. She’s just so happy Markus is hers.

Just as Coral is happy Nico is all hers.

Gem’s birthday arrives, and Coral helps him blow out his candles.

Gem has no memories of his life in Autumn Falls, all he knows of his family is his dad, Coral and Jade.

He grows up. And he’s adorable.

---

Omg Gem <3

I think I'm going to go back to rolling for my heir, but I haven't even rolled for Gen 6's parameters yet... but if I get single with help or something like that I might be tempted to keep Gem around. HE'S SO FRIGGIN CUTE <3

Jade was a result of lucky genetics between two adorable characters. Markus was the result of a lot of hard work and tweaking. Gosh I love them both <3. Their children will be gorgeous or I will through something. Seriously.

If you make Markus a bad guy after he's been so sweet and good to Jade I will cry! I love the way he's found something to help her cope with her abilities and I hope he can convince her not to try and get rid of them.